Auxiliary air tank for automobile tires



Sept. 9, 1952 H. G. MCQU|STON 2,609,857

AUXILIARY AIR TANK FOR AUTOMOBILE TIRES Filed Jan. 20, 1947 2 SHEETS-SHEET l H. G. MCQUISTON AUXILIARY AIR TANK FOR AUTOMOBILE TIRES Sept. 9,1952l 2 SHEETS- SHEET 2 Filed Jan. 20, 1947 V-V eine. 4 ingesamt@`arrows. i i

Patented Sept. 9, 1952 AUXILIAR7 'AIR TAN K TIRES FDR AUTOMOELLE aanG-,Meauiswn@regalasnppiieauonJanuary zo, 19.47seriai Narr-valanga Thisinvention .relates .generally `to means for inating automobile tires,and more specifically to an auxiliary air tank havingA'parts.iorautomatcally maintaining the .tire inflated .at vany desireddegree of pressure.

The primary aim of--this invention isto .provide an auxiliary air "tankforautomobile tires that is simple and compact,that mayreadly be made apart of the-hub-capfofautomobiles of modern types without in any-.waydisflguringi the same or affectingwits use, :and ithat.provides a moreaccurate regulation `of yaiinpressure -inthe tire. i

The most important object of this inventionis to provide an auxiliaryairtank for automobile tires having means`-for automatically Vinfla'tingthe tire to a `predetermined pressure when the same falls below suchpressure level and tolautomatically deate the ysainewhen suchpressurerises beyond said level.v A

Another important object oirthis.` invention is the provision of`automatictire rinilating yapparatus having means to equalize ythe.constant uctuating air pressure inhthe.A tirey asI the .same movesacross rough surfacesbevforei suchlpressure reaches the mechanism @forcontrollingfthezingress and egress thereof to and .ifromith tire.

A further` object of -thislii-nventioniiis:topro-- "vide uniquestructure formaintainingagdesired amount of air pressurewinsanautomobile:tire having means for automatically `compensaiiing for poundingresulting from movementnf .the tireV over `rough surfaces and .causing.rapid changes in air .pressure, therebyaeliminating Hutter action 4uponvalves rregula-ting i'iiow of airto and from the tire.

Other objects of this, invention,particularly with respect topurely,struoturaldetai1s,. will be me housing unitniustrateaii Figuilig.A 4 is a crossf-sectional taken Yon line IV-rv of Figs.

sie.; 5v is. a .Crossrseeiieaai Yieaken on line ganterie@ .1 Gleim-(U1-11.521418) A u d onalview taken on line `oi Eig. 4,in'the"`direction of thearrows. m M

Fia 71S. an enlatgeddetaileaview of the .c011- ,duit intercaaefiiiiila'uiliafy taiikfahd' the tube,` showing thehsvarrle` in crosssectionand illustrainantejralvaasseiated with th valve stem ,vali/.ef

Ha Aisa risse-sectie@ yieyiaken on ,line `.one the eraan f the arrows;.and

Fig. 9 is an enlarged, detailed sectional View taken Aon line SIX-1X; of`livig. I4.

.is io have structur U0 com- .due uto Contact thereof with roughsurfaces over ,tionalvalves kfor regni from the.` tire when ran excessamount is present ltherein:due toextremaheat, are all afifid in`regulating.urinoir Qfairpressurfe ab@ Emauxiliary vhighmpressure tanl;to `.the tire and addimg the egress ,affair tire as thersamemcomesViirnntngiet iwith uneven These problems ...havem all been. Salvati im,the apparatus :about to be ,deriba and in the drawings, Figs.` 1andl2.illust1f3rte` the manner in which the device maybernadeapart ofthe c onventional hubfcapof modern types ofauwtomobile wheels.' `Anautomobile `,wheel,iillustrated in Hg. 1, is broadly designated.` by thenumeral- I0 and constitutes' a rim` i2, upon which ismounted -the usualtype of pneumatic: `tire I4 andV having additional securitytank I li` isprovidedwith a 3 ceived by opening 24 formed in rim I2 of the wheel ID,and a finger 26 in diametrically opposed relation to the hook 22receives a screw or the like 28, which is in turn threaded into rim I2.

Extending inwardly from the outermost wall of tank I6 and in registerwith an opening 38 formed inthis outermost wall is a sleeve 32 havinginternal threads 34 for receiving the external threads 36 of a housing,broadly designated by the numeral 38. This housing 38 has shoulders 40formed thereon for receiving a tool permitting the removal of housing 38for purposes' more fully hereinafter described. The tube of the tire I4is placed into communication with the tank I6 through the medium of aexible tube 42 extending from a point exteriorly of tank I6` to valvestem 44. A pipe 46 having one end thereof joined to sleeve 32 and incommunication with aV port 48 therein, extends through the wall of tankI6 and joins with tube 42, as is clear in Fig. 2. This connectionbetween pipe 46 and tube 42 is protected against damage by offsettingthe outermost wall of tank I6 as at 56. A iitting 52, provided on thefree end of the tube 42 for connecting the latter to valve stem 44, isin screwthreaded engagement therewith and a Schrader type valve 54within this fitting 52 engages lwith a similar Schrader valve 56 withinstem 44 when fitting 52 is in place. Thus, both these valves 54 and 56remain open while such connection is made. Y

The housing 38 is provided with a continuous annular groove `58 forplacing a port 48 into communication with an opening 6U, formed insleeve 32 and housing 38 respectively. This opening 66 is in turn inregister with a chamber 62 in housing 38 intermediate the ends thereof.A pair of reciprocable valves 64 and 66 are provided in housing 38 inopposed relation at opposite sides of the chamber 62. Valve 64 ismounted within an insert 68 in threaded engagement with an nternallythreaded opening 'I0 in one end of the housing 38. This insert 68 isprovided with a seat on the normally innermost end thereof for the valve64 and a plug 'I2 threadably received within the insert 68, has acentral opening therethrough for slidably receiving the stem of valve64. A second plug 'I4 threaded upon the outermost end of the valve stemof valve 64 is slidable within the insert 68 and a spring I5 interposedbetween the plugs I2 and 14 tends to normally maintain valve 64 againstits seat.

Valve 66 is mounted within an insert "i6 in threaded engagement with anopening formed in the opposite end of housing 38, which insert 'I6 hasone end thereof formed to present a seat 'I8 for valve 66. This valve 66is freely slidable within a plug 80 threaded into the insert 16 and aspring 82 coiled about the stem of valve 66 between the head thereof andplug 86 tends to hold valve 66 in the normal condition against its seat'I8. A passage 84 in housing 38 and insert 'I6 places the centralopening 86 of this insert 16 into communication with centralchamber 62in housing 38. An aperture 88 formed in the plug 86 places passage 86into communication with the atmosphere externally of tank I6.

A continuous external annular groove 86 is formed in housing 38 inspaced relation to the annular groove 58 therein and this groove 86 isplaced into communication with an internal continuous annular groove 92within housing 38 by an aperture 94. This aperture 94 is formed topresent a seat for a needle valve 96 threadably inserted therein. A port98 of reduced diameter formed in insert 68 connects internal groove 9iwith the interior of insert 68 between plug I2 therein and the head ofvalve 64. The interior of housing 38 is placed in direct communicationwith the interior of tank I6 when needle valve 96 is open by a port 100formed in sleeve 32 and in communication with external groove 86 inhousing 38.

Assuming all the parts of the aforesaid described device to be formedand operably interconnected as set forth, the operation thereof is asfollows. Tank I6 is lled with air under pressure through the medium of apipe |82, extending into tank I6 and terminating a distance inwardlyfrom the wall thereof and having a suitable check valve therein. Thistank I6 is filled to relatively high pressure with respect to the normalpressure to which tire I4 is maintained and as the pressure within thetire I4 falls below a certain value, air within tank I6 will now intothe tube of tire I4 in the following manner: From tank I6 air flowsVinto passage |06, to

- groove 96, thence into aperture 94, groove 92, and

then through port 98` Such air moving against valve 64, causes this samevalve to open whence it then passes into chamber 62,- through outletpassage 68, annular groove 58, opening 48, pipe 46, tube 42 and'thenceopen valves 54 and 56, into valve stem 44 and the tube. This operationtakes place when the high pressure within tank I6 olfsets the vpressurewithin the tube and within chamber 62. 'After the'tube receives acertain amount of air, valve 64 will again close against its seat andprevent further flow. When the air within the tube rises beyond apredetermined value, due to heat or the like, such pressure within thetube and within chamber 62 will open valve 66, whereupon this excess airflows through passage 86 and into aperture 88, where the same is free topass outwardly to the atmosphere.

It is notable that chamber 62 will compensate for any rapid change orfluctuation of air within the tire I4 as the same passes over roughterrain. Such forces will not readily affect the operation of valve 66because of the equalizing of the pressure within the chamber 62.Therefore,

1 air loss from the tube due to bumps and other action upon the tirethrough the valve 66, will be obviated. It is further notable that afterthe tire is placed in operation, a certain amount of pounding will belpresent, because of rough surfaces, and valve 64 would normally becaused to iutter because of the rapid changes in pressure withinthe'tire I4. Such pounding is compensated for by the annular groove 58and the provision of ports 48 and'66 in opposed relation when thehousing 38 is placed within the sleeve 32. Valve 64wi1l, therefore,remain closed at all times except when the pressure within the tire I4falls appreciably below the desired value. The tension of 'both thesprings I5 and 82 of valves 64 and '66 respectively is renderedadjustable through the medium of plugs 12, 'I4 and 86 respectively bymoving the same inwardly or outwardly with respect to their inserts 68and 16.

It is further notablel that needle valve 96 may be adjusted by removalof housing 38 from sleeve 32. Such adjustment'permits the flow of fluidfrom tank I6 to the tire I4 at only a relatively small rate, to the endthat when valve64 opens, such air will not flow into tire I4 in'excessof that desired. This retardation is further provided for in thereduction in sizeof p ort 98. i If any flutter should occur in thisvalve 64, caused, not by a deciency of air within the tire I4, butbyroad 5 conditions, the amount of air passing from tank i6 Would onlybe slight.

It is an important feature of this invention, furthermore, that sincehousing 33 is disposed substantially on the axis of rotation of the tankiii and since each of the valves 64 and 66 reciprocate in paths oftravel transversely to the rotation of the Wheel IIJ, these Valves willnot be affected by centrifugal force inherent in the Wheel lil.

A counterweight |64 Within tank I6 is disposed in diametrically opposedrelation to pipe 46, tube d2 and valve stem 44 to maintain Wheel IU inbalance after the device just described is affixed thereto.

It is clear that the auxiliary air tank just described and itsassociated parts is extremely eincient and accurate and since manychanges and modifications may Well be made Without departing from thespirit of the invention, it is desired to be limited only by the scopeof the appended claim.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new and desiredto be secured by Letters Patent is:

In a rotatable Wheel having a tire, a tube in the tire provided with anair inlet conduit, and a hollow, perforated hub cap, presenting an airpressure tank, all mounted on the Wheel for rotation therewith; atubular support secured to the hub cap thereWithin in register With theperforation thereof and having a rst radial opening communicating withthe hub cap tank and a second radial opening communicating with theconduit, said conduit extending through the hub cap; an elongated,hollow housing within the support and provided with an outlet portextending to the atmosphere, a first external, annular grooveregistering with said iirst opening, a second external. annular grooveregistering With said second opening, an internal dainpening chamber, aradial hole placing the chamber in register with said secondexternalgroove, an internal, annular groove, and a radial ductinterconnecting the internal groove with said iirst external groove; arst valve in the housing on one side of said chamber and provided withspring means for yieldably holding the same biased toward a positionclosing the charnber from said internal groove; and a second valve inthe housing, separate from the first valve. on the opposite side of saidchamber and provided with spring means for yieldably holding the samebiased toward a position closing the chamber from said outlet port, saidvalves being recip rocable on the longitudinal axis of the housingtoward the outlet port against the action of their respective springs toplace said chamber into register with the hub cap and with theatmosphere respectively.

HARRY G. MCQUXSTON.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in they NumberName Date Re. 12,411 Temple Nov. 21, 1905 1,128,455 Keith Feb. 16, 19151,233,885 Kuenhold July 17, 1917 2,141,542 Mann Dec. 27, 1938 2,141,543Mann (1I) Dec. 27, 1938 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 1,669 GreatBritain 1897

